Hugh Keevins believes Hearts ace Lawrence Shankland could be seen as having a “weak mentality” should he fail to get his move to Rangers and not perform as well as he did last season.
The journalist wrote this for the online edition of Daily Record on 28 July and stated that although Shankland is no doubt a “model-pro,” the recent speculation around his future can’t put off his performances.
And, although Hearts’ fans could see the attacker as having a “weak mentality” should he not play as well, the club can’t afford to lose their star man.
“Lawrence Shankland may undoubtedly be a model pro – but he is a human being at the same time. And all of the speculation linking him with a move to Rangers must be unable to be put to the back of his mind,” Keevins wrote.
“If the Hearts captain scores against Rangers and their league season starts with a defeat, he will be reviled by the supporters of a club he may yet join.
“If Shankland fails to score and Rangers win, he will be accused of having failed the Tynecastle support by displaying a weak mentality.
“Meantime, Hearts could not possibly countenance a move to Ibrox for the player. So Shankland, whatever else happens in the fullness of time, won’t be on the Ibrox list of players submitted to UEFA.”
Rangers and Philippe Clement need to set their sights elsewhere
It’s evident that Rangers are undergoing a summer of change and have a massive rebuild on the cards.
This has already started to take place with the exits and arrivals of some players this summer.
One area that does need improving is that of striker. Sam Lammers’ exit has now been confirmed as the Netherlands international has joined FC Twente.
And, although the loss of Lammers isn’t the be-all and end-all for the Gers, the fact that Cyriel Dessers could also be exit-bound in order to fund further arrivals puts the Glasgow-based outfit in something of a pickle.
Hence, why Shankland has been consistently mentioned in a transfer to Ibrox this summer.
However, due to his high price tag of £3million [David Edgar, 28 July] and the fact that his contract runs out in June 2025, the Gers should look elsewhere for their new number nine, at least for this season.
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